The Chronicles of Time
by ElusiveMuse89
Summary: The war of the Rings is over but Sauron is not yet willing to accept defeat.He has decided to traveled back in time to change events in the past. Can Aragorn and friends protect their ancestors before their demise spells certain doom for Middle-Earth? ON HOLD
1. Prologue

**A/N: **The idea is that the first few paragraphs begin as canon, but because Sauron is such a thick neck is becomes AU. As you'll no doubt guess if you read the story, I'm going to be dealing with a lot of what-ifs. Oooh, this is going to be fun!

**Disclaimer: **Only the plot belongs to me. And of course, the Keepers of Time.

**_Prologue_**

It would be the last time they were all together, so the company decided to make the most of this day. After all, tomorrow was their parting. King Aragorn and Queen Arwen sat gazing at all their friends and family fondly, and somewhat wistfully, for this would be their last day together. Legolas and Gimli were conversing together. The four hobbits were in one corner sleepily watching their surroundings. Gandalf was speaking to Elrond and Galadriel, and Celeborn was listening in polite interest. Elladan and Elrohir were jesting lightly amongst themselves. The sun was setting but all of them were loathe to turn in just yet.

Aragorn sighed heavily and stood up. He opened his mouth to speak, but what he was about to say was driven clean out of his mind as a strong gust of wind knocked him back in his seat. Arwen glanced sideways at him, an amused smile spreading across her face.

"Do not say it," Aragorn muttered.

" I was merely about to inquire if you were all right," Arwen said innocently.

Aragorn scowled and gazed at the Company once more. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Elrond break off in mid-speech and stiffen, his expression tense. Silence fell across the company at a distant rumble. Aragorn stood once more and made his way to his father- in law as Galadriel asked Elrond a question the king could not hear, Arwen gliding silently beside him.

" I know not," Aragorn heard Elrond reply as he reached his side. The rest of the company drew closer, seeming to realize something was amiss. " Something is changing."

Galadriel's expression changed. " I feel it as well," she said.

"What is wrong?" asked Arwen.

"Something is changing," Celeborn repeated Elrond's words.

The rumbling grew louder and the wind swirled around them, growing more powerful by the minute.

"Perhaps we should go inside," Arwen suggested.

"An excellent idea ," Aragorn agreed, glancing apprehensively at the rapidly darkening sky. " Everyone inside!"

Everyone moved to comply, but Elrond remained where he was, his eyes distant. Celeborn laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come,_ Peredhil_, it would not do to remain as a storm approaches," he said quietly.

His eyes troubled, Elrond sighed and reluctantly agreed, turning to follow his companions. However, before they had taken more than a few steps, all went dark and silence replaced the sounds of an approaching storm.

* * *

><p>Suddenly a blinding white light replaced the darkness. They blinked at the bright light, each attempting to make a sense of it. As their eyes adjusted to the light, they discovered that they were enveloped within a curious white mist and they could barely make out the shapes of one another.<p>

"We need to stay together," Arwen said urgently. "No one must get lost."

Her words echoed in the air, as if they were in a large empty room. The others stumbled in the direction of her voice, finding as they did do the the ground felt unstable- the slightest movement seemed to make the ground shift. After losing their footing more than once, at long last the small party was gathered around Aragorn and Arwen. A survey of their current companions revealed some of them to be missing. Elladan and Elrohir were there, accessing the situation with keen eyes. Gimli was using Legolas to steady himself. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin- the four hobbits- pressed together with an involuntary shiver. Everyone else who was with them but minutes ago was gone.

They began to call out for their missing companions, creating a confused din of echoes. Soon they gave up the effort, realizing at last that their missing companions truly weren't there. Silence fell upon them as they contemplated their next possible move.

"Perhaps we should search for a landmark," Legolas suggested, ignoring the echo his voice made. "From there we should be able to find our way inside."

"An excellent idea!" Aragorn agreed a little too enthusiastically, eager to be doing something to help their situation.

"Yes, but we need to stay together," Arwen repeated her earlier words.

They began to move slowly, for the ground was still unstable. Their progress was delayed even further due to someone continually losing their balance, causing the rest to stop and wait patiently at first for the fallen companion to regain their footing, unwilling to lose anyone in the dense fog. Eventually, patience began to wear thin, not only because of the difficulty of remaining upright, but because they failed to come across any solid landmarks that could tell them where they were. All they could see was one another, and from time to time someone would call out to make sure no one was lost. They even called out the names of their missing companions in vain, but to no avail.

Finally, Aragorn stopped. "This is no use," he said. "We should have run into something by now." He paused for a moment, thinking how odd that sounded. It would have been amusing in another situation, but their current plight was no source for mirth.

"You mean to tell me we are lost?" Gimli exclaimed. "You are the King of Gondor and you are lost in your own courtyard?"

"I don't think we are in Gondor," Elladan said before an argument could erupt.

"Then where are we?" Pippin asked boldly.

"I cannot tell you that," Elladan replied. "I only know that we have never been in this place before."

The hobbits sank to the ground in exhaustion. One by one, not knowing what else to do, the others followed suit. Time seemed to stretch on, immeasurable, for they could not see any sun.

After a while, they suddenly noticed the mist was thinning. And in the distance, a white figure was approaching them. Everyone slowly rose to their feet to meet the stranger, automatically assuming it was one of the missing long last the figure stopped a few feet away from them. They could not tell who it was, because the hood of the white cloak covered the face. Nothing else could they discern about their visitor, except for a sundial hanging from a chain around their neck.

"Greetings," she said.

From her voice, they registered that this was someone they had never met. Also, she spoke as if she had been expecting to meet them. Once all of this was absorbed, they all started talking at once.

"Who are you?"

"Where are we?"

"What have you done to us?"

"Why are we here?"

"What do you want with us?"

"SILENCE!" the figure in white roared, and everyone stopped talking.

"Thank you," the white figure said when the echoes of their voices faded to silence. "I will now answer your questions. I am Talumë, the Keeper of Time. My eternal duty is to insure that the delicate fabric of time remains in balance. I am here because that balance has been thrown off course."

"That's nice but what has that do do with us?" Gimli growled.

"This place is called the Void," Talumë continued as if she had not been interrupted. " It does not exist. You are all here because you have ceased to exist."

At that, everyone burst into speech.

"That is impossible!"

"Ridiculous!"

"She must be insane!"

With a roar, Gimli charged at Talumë, stumbling when he fell right through her.

"You cannot touch me, or anything you will find, because you do not exist, except in your own minds. You cannot even touch each other." said Talumë, a hint of sadness in her voice. She waited quietly as they each discovered her words to be true.

"How did this happen?" Aragorn finally asked quietly.

"The being you know as Sauron has created a tear in the fabric of time in order to change certain events in the past," Talumë replied. "He has chosen to tear down the Fellowship at its roots."

Aragorn thought he understood that, but it sounded improbable. "Please elaborate," he said.

Talumë waved an arm and a shimmering image appeared before them. They saw a group of nearly a hundred or so small beings travelling across a plain. Upon a closer look, they recognized the beings as hobbits. No sooner had they recognized this than they saw a great dragon swoop in upon the helpless party.

"As the hobbits were seen as key figures in the war, Sauron decided to destroy the race when it was still a fledgling," Talumë said quietly. She waved her hand again and the imaged shifted, changing to reveal a very familiar mountain and the same dragon launching an attack on a group of dwarves.

"The dwarves became a race of wanderers, scattered, their numbers alarmingly small," Talumë continued. The image changed again, this time to show a ghost of a forest that appeared to have been through a fire.

"Mirkwood," Talumë explain at their looks of incomprehension. "At this point, the dragon was finally destroyed, but for many it was too late. The Wood-Elves had no desire to remain in this wraith-like forest. They, too, became wanderers. The only place that did not escape destruction was the Golden Wood."

"Rivendell?" Arwen breathed.

"Sauron was not satisfied with cutting the Fellowship down to size," said Talumë. "He also sought to destroy the one who brought it all together."

The image flickered again. They were shown a scene by the Sea, where two small dark-haired boys watched as a woman fell into the treacherous waves. _" Amme!"_ two childish voices screamed. To their horror, the two children ran unthinking after the woman, tumbling into the foaming sea.

"Someone let the young Peredhil loose as the sons of Fëanor were attempting to bargain with Elwing over the issue of the Silmaril," Talumë explained. "Elros' body was never recovered. A moment more and Elrond would have been lost as well."

"So Adar at least survived?" asked Elladan, trying not to show his relief.

"But Elros died!" Arwen exclaimed with a furtive look at Aragorn. "What does that mean for his descendents?"

"They never came to be," Talumë said simply. "Elrond died soon afterward. Grief is named as the ultimate cause. He was but a child and had lost everything he had." Silence fell, and Talumë let them absorb this information before continuing. "The One Ring was never removed from Sauron's person. With so many changes to the world, the Fellowship was never needed."

After a while, Legolas spoke up. "Lady, if we have ceased to exist and we never were, then what becomes of us here?"

"You have some existence here in your own way, but that won't last long," said Talumë. "Soon, you will fade to nothing."

"Then why are you here telling us these things?" asked Elrohir.

"Because there is but one last thing I can do to repair this imbalance," Talumë replied. "In an event like this where a multitude ceases to be, I can send no more than twelve of these said beings back to the time where the imbalance occurred in the hopes that they can set things right."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Gimli roared. "Let's get this done!"

Talumë chuckled. "First, I had to make you understand what has happened to you. You needed to comprehend the gravity of your plight. And I cannot do this without your verbal consent."

A babble of voices rose in a confusing echo. Of course they would give her their consent to proceed! After all they had seen and heard, there was nothing they would not try to set things straight.

Talumë raised a hand for silence. "There are a couple things you must know before you agree to this. First, you must remember at all times is that the world you just left is truly gone. It will never be as you remember it, even if you are able to ensure certain things happen as they are fated to. Remember always that Sauron of this old Age is there as well, determined to distort the past as much as he can.

"Also, if you do not succeed in returning yourself to some form of existence on Middle-Earth, you will fade to a ghost of yourself, doomed to wander throughout time for all eternity. I do not want you to throw yourselves into this without knowing the dangers. Are you still willing to undertake this journey?"

Undaunted, they murmurred their assent.

Talumë raised both arms and murmurred inaudible words. The mist instantly cleared away. They found that they were standing in the middle of a barren wasteland that reminded them eerily of Mordor.

A golden staff appeared in Talumë's hand. "Don't move!" she ordered. She then proceeded to draw a large glowing circle around them about ten feet in diameter. "Do not touch the edge. Stay in the middle," said Talumë as she stepped onto the edge herself. "Who is the leader among you?"

Everyone stared in Aragorn's direction.

"Stand directly in front of me," Talumë directed. "You," she pointed to Arwen, " stand two feet directly behind him. You two"(the twins) "stand on either side of her. The rest of you stand in a half-circle around the four, no closer than two feet apart."

After everyone had moved in the places she had ordered them to, Talumë murmurred so only Aragorn could hear her, "I can send you to the time Sauron appeared in the past, but it would not be wise to send you to the same place he appeared. It is important to remain hidden from him for as long as possible."

"I understand," said Aragorn said quietly.

"If I send you to the First Time Keeper, will you follow my instructions to the letter?"

"Why do you want to send me-"

Talumë interrupted him. "You need further guidance when you arrive in the First Age, and I haven't the time to fully instruct you in what to do. If I send you to the Keepers, will you do what I am about to tell you?"

"I will," Aragorn promised.

Talumë pulled him close to her and spent the next five minutes whispering instructions in Aragorn's ear. Then she pulled away. "Do you understand now?" she asked.

"I do," Aragorn replied with a nod.

Satisfied, Talumë raised both arms and spoke in a language none of them understood. Aragorn saw the sundial hanging from her neck glow briefly before blackening completely. A loud roaring filled their ears and everything turned pitch last thing Aragorn remembered was two hands on his shoulders and a whispered, "Good luck" and he knew no more.

**Whaddya think? For it being my first fic?**


	2. Chapter 1 The Keepers of Time

Aragorn awoke to the smell of grass and sunshine in his face. Grass? Sunshine? Where was he? He opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground apparently in what appeared to be a meadow in the forest. With a frown he sat up. As he saw his companions regaining consciousness around him, it all came rushing back to him. _Talumë. Where did she send them? When did she send them?_he added mentally. If indeed she had sent them back to the First Age. How could they find out about that?

"Where are we?" Arwen whispered, trying to maintain some order with her hair.

"I don't know," Aragorn replied. "Why are you asking me?"

"Talumë did speak to you alone," Arwen pointed out. "I assumed she was telling you where she was sending us. And when."

"She sent us to the First Age," Aragorn informed her. "This is the time Sauron travelled to, though not the exact place. She sent us to the first Keeper of Time. She seemed to think we would need further guidance when we arrived."

"She was probably right," said Arwen. "Do _you_ know what we are supposed to do to save Arda?"

"No." He did not like to admit it, but they had hurtled headfirst into an unknown situation. Aragorn would normally consider all his options before plowing ahead, but Talumë had told them that this was the only thing they could do if they were going to do anything at all.

Aragorn stood up, offering Arwen a hand. She took it, rising gracefully to her feet.

"Well, Leader?" said Elrohir with a teasing grin."What is our first plan of action?"

"Talumë mentioned a Keeper of Time that preceded her," Aragorn answered. "We should look for them."

"Because we know exactly where we're going," Elladan said sarcastically.

"I never said that," Aragorn retorted.

They were silent for a moment. The only sound was the wind blowing through the trees and distant birds greeting the new day.

"Maybe we should eat first," Pippin said hopefully. "Then we'll be thinking a bit more clearly."

Aragorn broke into a smile. Trust a hobbit to think of food at a time like this. But then, the Ranger reasoned, it wasn't a bad idea after all, if they knew where to find food.

The answer to this last problem came almost immediately as they heard a soft singing voice approaching. Some distance away another voice was calling. At last a young girl with a wild mass of auburn curls burst out of the trees carrying a sagging basket. She shrieked as a dark- haired figure grabbed her around the waist and whirled her around playfully. Neither seemed to notice they had an audience.

"Alvain!" she gasped. "I am a delicate young woman that should not be subject to such roughhousing!" Her attempt at sounding serious failed as the dark man burst into laughter.

"Delicate!" he laughed. "My sweet thorn, surely you jest!" Another spin sent the contents of the basket flying everywhere.

"Alvain!" she scolded. "Pick those up at once or I will not invite you to breakfast!"

"Ah, flower, why do you torment me so?" he murmurred.

Suddenly the two noticed they had company. "Friends of yours?" the girl asked.

He did not answer, instead drawing a sword. "State thy business!" he demanded.

At his reaction, the girl dropped her basket and withdrew two glittering daggers from hidden sheathes in one swift movement, her jade-like eyes stone cold.

Aragorn slowly stepped forward and raised his hands to show they were empty. "We mean you no harm," he said. "We are merely looking for someone who can help us."

"What sort of help do you need?" the man said suspiciously.

"I am afraid we are looking for a specific person," Aragorn replied. "A man called Thelmo. Do you know him?"

The two exchange a brief look. "Who wants to know?" the girl asked.

"My name is Aragorn. We have been told that Thelmo can help us."

An unspoken message seemed to be exchanged between the two strangers. The girl sheathed her daggers and retreated into the forest without another word.

"She will find Thelmo," said the man. "Then we shall see about you."

"Do you know what you are doing?" Arwen whispered.

"Talumë was very specific about what I had to do," Aragorn replied.

No one dared to move while the man had his weapon at the ready. While it was true that they probably could have taken him, Aragorn believed the man was a friend of the Time Keeper. They could not afford to do anything to deepen his mistrust of them.

After what seemed like ages, the girl returned at last with an older man. This one had the same jade-like eyes as the girl, though his hair was straight and silvery blond in color. He had not the pointed ears of an elf, but similar to an elf he did not look old but it was apparent he was much older than he appeared. He surveyed these strangers with a sharp eye, then turned to the girl and said, "Tell your father we have guests. Alvain, escort her home." The two younger strangers disappeared into the forest, with a little hesitation on the man's part.

The older man turned to the company and said," I am Thelmo. I hope Alvain and my granddaughter did not harm you?"

"Not at all," Arwen assured him.

Thelmo nodded in satisfaction. "Perhaps you would like to stay with my family until you have resolved your problem?"

"That would be most generous, if we aren't intruding," said Arwen.

"Ah, but you are intruding," Thelmo replied. "No one is allowed in here without express permission from me or my family. Until we find out how you got here, I cannot allow you to leave. There is no way out of here without an escort from one of us, so do not try it."

"You aren't afraid we might try to leave by force?" Legolas asked curiously.

Thelmo smiled. "This forest protects us; it guards our privacy fiercely," he said. "The trees themselves will come alive if any one of us is in any remote danger. No, you will not be leaving without our knowledge or consent. Even my granddaughter is capable of defending herself. Follow me."

They silently followed him into the forest. "You still know what you are doing?" Arwen whispered.

"Peace," Aragorn replied. "Just trust me. We are in no immediate danger apart from the circumstances which sent us here."

At last Thelmo stopped before another clearing. There was a fairly small cottage before them and a stream bubbled nearby. Aragorn wondered why Thelmo offered them shelter if he had so little room. Then he saw a similar cottage a couple meters away.

It was to the cottage further away that Thelmo headed. "Wash up for breakfast, then come inside," said Thelmo, gesturing toward the stream.

He went inside and at last Legolas spoke. "This isn't some sort of mistake? Talumë didn't send us to the wrong place, did she?"

"The fact that we did find Thelmo, the First Keeper of Time, tells us that we are in the right place," Aragorn answered. "He is the man Talumë told me we needed to meet. Give your names, but do not tell these people anything else. Talumë told me how to get them to trust us, and until they do, our quest is delayed."

They went inside the cottage. The outside looked simple enough but the inside was a different story. Everywhere they looked was some sort of timepiece, and no two looked even remotely alike. There were sundials of different sizes and colors. Hourglasses sat at intervals throught the room they were in. Clocks hung all over the walls. The room was very loud due to the ticking of multiple clocks.

"No, no, no! Never linger in the Room of Doom! Into the dining room with you!" the red-haired girl appeared and grabbed two of the hobbits and pulled them into another room, obviously expecting the others to follow.

She led them into the dining room, where a large table was sitting. There was a skylight directly over the table, and sunlight filtered through it onto a sundial."Sit!" she ordered, before disappearing through another door.

The company complied amid unmasked looks of bewilderment.

"Odd folks, aren't they?" Pippin ventured.

"Don't be rude, Pippin!" Merry hissed.

"They are different," Legolas conceded. "But there is nothing wrong with that."

Thelmo came in with four plates of food laden with sausage, bacon and eggs. Behind him, similarly burdened, came the dark-haired man and another man younger than Thelmo. Judging by the mop of auburn curls on his head, this was without a doubt the girl's father. The men set the dishes on the table and sat down. Since Thelmo made no move to make introductions, they all sat studying one another. The dark-haired man narrowed amber eyes suspiciously at the newcomers, whereas there was a thoughtful look in the red's blue eyes.

Finally, the girl came in with a tray laden with- "Biscuits," she said disdainfully. "I would have made our usual morning apple cakes but someone made me lose the main ingredient." She glared in the direction of the dark-headed man.

The object of her displeasure widened his eyes innocently. "Why, who could have done such a terrible thing?" he asked in a shocked voice. A look of feigned comprehension crossed his face. "The Willow-Witch! It must have been she!"

"We have guests," Thelmo reminded them.

The two fell silent and she sat down next to her companion.

"Perhaps you should introduce yourselves," Thelmo suggested quietly.

Aragorn cleared his throat. "I am Aragorn," he said simply. He pointed to each of his companions in turn. "Arwen and her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. Legolas. Gimli. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin."

Thelmo frowned. "That does not tell us much about you," he said.

"It will have to do until we are able to discuss the reason for our being here," Aragorn replied.

Thelmo's mouth tightened, but he did not comment. Instead he made introductions of his own. "I am Thelmo, head of this family," he said. "This is my son and heir, Mendesur. The little spitfire is his daughter and our pride and joy, Ellira. The miserable excuse for a bodyguard is Alvain, who is a horrific failure if he lets his charge run in the midst of potential danger."

Alvain flushed and suddenly seemed interested in his plate.

"He was very protective of your granddaughter," Arwen offered.

"As he should be," said Mendesur. "The fact is neither of them pay near enough attention to their surroundings until it is too late."

"There isn't much danger here, Father," Ellira retorted.

"Do not underestimate the Willow-Witch! She grows stronger every day!" her father snapped.

"Please don't argue in front of our guests," Thelmo said quietly. The two fell silent immediately. "Ellira, what do you sense about our new friends?"

More silence as jade eyes scrutinized the intruders. This was the first time she had paid more than a passing interest to the strangers. "They are hiding something," she said at last.

"Thank you for enlightening us, Oh Wise One," Alvain said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We couldn't have found that out without the use of your special gifts."

"Quiet!" Mendesur said harshly, as Ellira turned from the guests to glare at Alvain. "We need a little more information, dear, so we know how to treat them," he said gently to his daughter.

Ellira turned back to eyeing the guests. " They need to do something," she frowned. "It is important."

"That is something they can tell us in good time," Thelmo said softly. "Look for their intentions."

There was a long pause. Aragorn felt a faint presence brush against his mind. Arwen's hand found his, telling him she, too, felt it. Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir stiffened, and Gimli frowned. The hobbits merely looked confused.

"They mean us no harm," Ellira said at last.

Thelmo nodded in satisfaction. "I surmise you all felt that encounter," he said. "Some are uncomfortable with telepathy, so let me inform you that Ellira cannot access your mind. She is able to sense feelings, emotions and such. She has deemed you no danger toward us."

There was silence as hosts and guests alike absorbed this information. Then Thelmo broke the silence. "So what are you doing here?"

Aragorn debated with himself and figured there was no time with the present and besides they were wasting precious time. "We were here by Talumë, Keeper of the Third Age." He then sat back to see the impact those words would have, and he wasn't disappointed.

Alvain paused for a brief moment between bites. Mendesur's eyes widened. Ellira froze with her fork still in her mouth. With some difficulty, she removed the fork from her mouth and forced herself to swallow the food with such effort Aragorn was afraid she would be sick. Mendesur and Ellira shot questioning looks at Thelmo, who carefully avoided their gaze.

"Where did you hear that name?" Thelmo said quietly.

Alvain looked up from his plate, appearing to finally realize something serious was happening.

"She introduced herself to us as such," Aragorn answered. "She believed you could help us, so she sent us here. She told us you were the Keeper of the First Age."

Mendesur cut in before Thelmo could speak. "Wait just a moment. If Talumë, who you claim is the Keeper of the Third Age, did indeed send you, then that means you hail from the Third Age, thousands of years into the future."

"That would be correct,"Aragorn stated, trying to keep his tone polite. Talumë had told him it wouldn't be easy, but he did not know it would be this infuriating. So many lives were at stake, and yet these Time Keepers were more concerned about how they came by the name of Talumë and where they came from, or to put it more accurately, when they came from.

"Who sent you here?" Thelmo demanded. "And I want the truth!"

"I told you Talumë sent us here from the Third Age," Aragorn enunciated slowly, as if he was speaking to a difficult child.

Thelmo's eyes flashed angrily. "That is not possible!" he thundered, rising to his feet.

"We would never allow it!" Mendesur snapped.

Alvain frowned and pushed back his plate. "Am I missing something here?" he asked. "Because I understood that past Time Keepers would not have any control over their successors."

Arwen spoke up. "That is not the issue," she realized. She glanced at Ellira, who had remained silent throughout this exchange. She addressed Mendesur and Thelmo, already knowing the answer yet asking anyway for the benefit of the others. "Who is Talumë?"

"Why would a Time Keeper send anyone back in time?" Mendesur asked, ignoring Arwen's question. "It is against the Code to do so unless the world was in danger."

"Talumë is not a Time Keeper!" Thelmo insisted.

"Who is Talumë?" Alvain repeated Arwen's question, observing that the two were deliberately ignoring it.

Mendesur glanced at Thelmo. "The damage is done," the First Time Keeper said through clenched teeth.

"Talumë," said Ellira, speaking up at last, "is my secret name. Until now, only my father and grandfather knew of it."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I had meant to make the Company's time among the Time Keepers into just one chapter but the story began to take on a mind of its own. I promise Aragorn's companions will have more voice later, but for now he has to serve as spokesperson.<strong>


	3. Chapter 2 The Sundial

**Author's Note: _I hadn't actually meant to give the Time Keepers the spotlight, but since they know more than anyone else at the moment, it sort of just landed on them. The canon characters will have more action later in the story, but for now they need to watch and listen._**

* * *

><p><em>"Talumë," said Ellira, speaking up at last, "is my secret name. Until now, only my father and grandfather knew of it."<em>

As all eyes landed on her, a scowl marred Ellira's otherwise flawless face.

Alvain turned to Aragorn. "Ellira?" he said incredulously. "The third Time Keeper?"

"We knew her only as Talumë," Aragorn replied. "She told us the balance of time was disrupted and-"

"But why send you here?" Mendesur mused.

"She believed we needed further guidance," said Aragorn. "She didn't have time to give us further instruction, so-"

"Why was she short on time?" Thelmo questioned.

"She said we were about to fade from existence," Aragorn answered. "We-"

"Where did you meet?" Mendesur interrupted, a tone of urgency creeping into his voice.

"She called it the Void. She said it-"

"-didn't exist," Thelmo finished for him. "The Void only appears when beings vital to Middle-Earth cease to be, according to the Code of the Ages. That only happens if someone tampers with time, according to the Code."

"It seems you have memorized the Code," Alvain commented. "So tell me, has any of this ever happened before?"

"This is the First Age," said Thelmo. "Such has not happened yet." He paused and continued as if Alvain had not interrupted his train of thought. "One can not tamper with time unless they are in the presence of the Time Keeper of the current age." He fell silent as this information was absorbed.

"So Talumë is the ultimate cause of this?" asked Gimli.

"Do not blame my daughter for your misfortunes!" Mendesur snapped. "We still are not positive you are telling the truth."

"Can your daughter not use her gift to discern the truth?" Legolas countered defensively.

"She could, were she in complete control of her talents," Mendesur said evenly. "Unfortunately, that will never be, so you will have to convince us yourselves."

"We are finished eating. Perhaps we can carry this discussion elsewhere?" Ellira suggested.

"Of course," Thelmo agreed. "Ellira, you and Alvain will show our guests to the study, while your father and I take care of the dishes."

"Since when do you wash dishes?" Ellira challenged.

"You did cook breakfast for a large group," Mendesur reminded her. "It is only fair that we help by cleaning it up."

Ellira shot him a searching look, until at last she stood up and said, "Don't destroy my kitchen."

Thelmo and Mendesur collected the dishes from the table while Alvain and Ellira ushered their guests into a room adjoining the 'Room of Doom.' In one corner was a fireplace surrounded by two couches and a number of cushioned armchairs. In another corner was a desk. On the edge of the desk sat four hourglasses, and directly over the fireplace hung a brass wall clock. The wall directly to the far left was covered with a large bookshelf. Ellira directed the company to the chairs. She sank into a comfortable armchair next to the fire. One by one, the others followed suit.

"Why so many clocks?" Pippin asked curiously.

"Some are for our protection," Ellira replied. "Some are too dangerous to just leave lying about, as only a Time Keeper can use them safely. And some are there just because we like the way they look."

Alvain smiled fondly. "You can tell who dragged what in if you know this eccentric family well enough," he added. He ducked as an object suddenly flew at him. "Hence, my point precisely!" he exclaimed in triumph, holding up the object for all to see. "Only Elly would throw a sundial at me."

"We are not eccentric!" Ellira hissed, glaring at Alvain.

Alvain winced. "It was a joke, Elly, I promise!" he said quickly. He addressed their guests. "Have you noticed her killer eyes? Armies would quail at them!"

Aragorn could not hold back a brief smile. He could grow to like these people, if he had the time to get to know them. His smile faded at that last thought. "I hate to be rude, but we are wasting time just sitting here," he said.

He frowned as the two burst into laughter. Were these two ever serious about anything?

"I'm sorry," Ellira wheezed, "but wasting time-" she succumbed to another fit of laughter. "Did Talumë tell you nothing about the place she was sending you to?"

"I fail to see any humor in this," Aragorn growled in annoyance.

"Where we are now," Alvain explained, "is not exactly a part of Middle-Earth. It is, and yet at the same time, it isn't. It is actually another dimension, where time does not pass. Its exact location in Middle-Earth I cannot remember, because I have been here so long. Not only does time not pass here, but one also does not age here. Whatever is happening right now on Middle-Earth that you are so desparate to jump into is frozen in time."

"You said Talumë thought you needed further guidance, but she had no time to give it to you," Ellira cut in. "She did the best she could do in the circumstances. She sent you to someone who could help you, also giving you unlimited time to plan your next move."

Aragorn sat frozen in shock. He felt all the tension in his body ease away as he realized that right now, they had all the time in the world. Then another thought occurred to him. "Do_ you_ believe us?" he asked.

Ellira considered his question for a moment. "I find your story too incredible to be false," she said slowly. "I don't know much about Time Keeping, so I don't really understand why my father and grandfather are so worried."

"Why do you refer to Talumë as a different person from yourself if you believe us?" asked Arwen.

Ellira frowned. "It is difficult to think of her in the same context as myself," she said. "It takes a tremendous amount of energy just to send one being alone to a different time. It takes even more power to send them to a different age. Yet this Time Keeper sent several beings back to the First Age. It is difficult to imagine that kind of strength."

She gazed at the group around her and said, "I have never seen a group of such diversity! Why do you travel together?"

"It was necessary," Aragorn said simply, offering no more.

Ellira frowned, seemingly discontent. Then she gazed at Gimli with sudden interest. "The dwarves I have met are an unfriendly sort," she declared.

Alvain's eyes widened in mortification and he shook his head emphatically in a desperate attempt to silence her. Aragorn straightened, now fully alert. This could turn sour if they weren't careful.

Legolas smirked. "Exactly how many dwarves have you met?" he asked.

"Only the two the Willow-Witch commands," she admitted. "Are they all so vulgar, or are her minions the exception?"

Gimli puffed his chest out indignantly. "I assure you, lady, we dwarves are a civilized race," he huffed. "Those you have met must be a despicable disgrace to our race if a lady considers them 'vulgar'."

Ellira flushed and lowered her eyes. "I am sorry," she murmurred. "It was not my intention to offend you. Those other two almost killed Alvain, who was only trying to protect me."

Gimli calmed down, much appeased. "No harm done," he said amiably.

Alvain visibly relaxed. "Before she succeeds in offending every one of you before the day is over," he said, "let me warn you that Ellira tends to speak her mind. She usually means nothing by it."

Ellira smiled brightly. "So, Master Dwarf, tell us a little about yourself."

The door opened before Gimli could speak. Without a word, Thelmo and Mendesur stepped inside the room and seated themselves on a couch.

"I do still have a kitchen don't I?" Ellira asked.

"It is still intact," Mendesur promised.

Thelmo studied each face, his eyes lingering longest on his granddaughter, before he said, " We have discussed the matter and have decided that if we are to believe you, you must offer us proof that you did indeed meet a Time Keeper. Our Ellira would know how suspicious we are by nature, therefore, she would have told you something only we would know. If this is not the case, I can only conclude that if you did meet her she did not deem your situation important."

The look he sent Aragorn was a challenge. "She did indeed give me something to show you our sincerity, but I was told to wait until you were open to accept it," Aragorn said. From a chain around his neck, Aragorn removed the blackened sundial Talumë had placed around his neck just after she wished him luck.

Thelmo took the token Aragorn offered him, and it was a moment before recognition crossed his face, and Mendesur's face turned ashen.

Alvain leaned forward for a better look, and Ellira tilted her head curiously and said, "What is it?"

"Come here, Ellira," Thelmo commanded. Hesitantly Ellira crossed over to the couch and stood before her grandfather. Thelmo stood up and reached around her neck. He pulled at a chain, revealing another sundial similar to the one Aragorn had produced. "It is one and the same," Thelmo announced.

"What does that mean?" Alvain questioned while Ellira stared in confusion from her silvery sundial to the blackened version. "They can't be the same!" Ellira protested.

"They are the same," Thelmo insisted. "Your initials are carved in the back of both. E.T.S- for Ellira Talumë Sheonna. I would not give away more than one of these."

"But what happened to it?" asked Ellira.

"Since you do indeed become the third Time Keeper, I assume your father or I must have turned this into a Time Token," Thelmo replied. "It would allow you to travel through time if the need arose."

He shot a searching look at Aragorn. "A time token could only have been reduced to this state if it possessor was forced against their will to use their special abilities concerning time," he said. His eyes flashed in anger. "The Void is a Time Keeper's last resort if the fabric of time lie in jeopardy. Many can enter the Void if they suddenly become non-existent, but a Time Keeper can only enter it if they lie near death."

Aragorn's heart skipped a beat as he realized the implications of this information. "So what you are saying," said Aragorn, just to be certain, "is that Talumë- the future version of her-"

"-is dying," Mendesur finished for him. "It takes a lot of energy to send a person to a different time, but if she used just a little of her remaining life force, she would have the power needed to send all of you here. Who is responsible for this?"

"In our time he is known as Sauron," said Aragorn. He then proceeded to tell them of the War of the Rings, the victory, and the loss of that victory because of Sauron's time travel. Then he told them of what happened in the Void.

"If what you are saying is true, then we must proceed carefully," Thelmo said, thinking aloud. "There is more at stake than your loss of existence."

"What do you mean?" asked Aragorn. He had not thought their predicament could be any worse.

"If the Time Keeper of the current age dies," Mendesur explained," the whole of Middle-Earth will be sucked into the Void with her."

* * *

><p><strong>Kathuros Lehrer<strong> and **onlychild7a12: _Thank you so much for your reviews! They did inspire me to update sooner!_**


	4. Chapter 3 The Time Dimension

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait between updates. This chapter was difficult to write, and I am also looking for a beta, which is also taking time. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to let me know.**

_"So what you are saying," said Aragorn, just to be certain, "is that Talumë- the future version of her-"_

_"-is dying," Mendesur finished for him._

_"There is more at stake than your loss of existence."_

_"What do you mean?" asked Aragorn._

_"If the Time Keeper of the current age dies," Mendesur explained," the whole of Middle-Earth will be sucked into the Void with her."_

* * *

><p>Aragorn closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Could their quest get any more complicated? He highly doubted it. He felt Arwen's hand slip into his own, and he opened his eyes. With quiet resolve, he asked, "How do we prevent this from happening?"<p>

"That is complicated," Thelmo answered, with a sigh.

Aragorn forced his countenance to remain calm, even though he felt ready to scream. That was not what he wanted to hear. The way these Time Keepers complicated matters should not be allowed!

"How so?" asked Arwen, when it became apparent that Aragorn was not going to speak.

"Talumë is in the Void," Thelmo said, slowly, so as to allow his words to sink in, "suffering from whatever it was that Sauron did to her, or possibly what she did to herself to ensure passage into the Void. If it was the latter, we can be certain the situation in Middle-Earth is serious indeed.

"So long as she is in the Void, she will continue to suffer from what happened to her in the former reality from which you came, even if you do succeed in your quest. The Void is not affected by changes in the true world."

"How do we get her out of the Void?" asked Arwen.

"At the moment, it is impossible," Mendesur said. "According to your narrative, Sauron did succeed in molding history to his preference, which means that in this new reality, there is no need for Sauron to resort to time travel."

Thelmo jumped in. "This means that at the time and date Sauron disappeared into time in your former existence, Talumë will begin dying, shortly after which the world will start being slowly pulled into the Void. From there, it will eventually fade away."

Aragorn thought this over. In the Void, when he had learned what had happened to them, he had merely thought of their pending non-existence, and the fate of the still-existing world if Sauron kept the One Ring. This pending doom he had just heard of was deeper.

"What if we were to keep key points in history intact?" he asked.

"If you can back Sauron into a corner like you did in your former reality, there is a slim chance of preventing this catastrophe," Thelmo replied. "You must compel him to use the same option as last time; namely, Talumë."

"But if he attempts time-travel again we will be back where we are now!" Aragorn protested.

Thelmo shook his head. "We need him to open the Time Portal, else there will be no access to the Void," he said. "To travel through time you must first pass through the Void. When you open the Portal, you only need the Time Keeper and a clear image of your destination. If you enter the Time Portal without a clear destination you will automatically end up in the Void. Also, without the Time Keeper's consent, it takes considerably longer to reach your destination." He broke off with a frown. "Talumë sent you here for a reason," he murmurred.

Mendesur sent him a sharp look. "Do you think she had a plan?" he asked.

"She must have," Thelmo answered. "There is no other explanation. Whatever it was, she has left us to figure it out on our own." He glanced at his guests. "Time we have aplenty," he said. "You don't mind staying a few days, do you?"

"Of course not," Aragorn said in relief. It seemed they were to have some respite from the talk.

"Then why don't you all go outside with Ellira and Alvain?" Mendesur suggested.

At his words, Alvain jumped up, pulling Ellira out the door with him.

"WAIT!" Thelmo yelled. "Our guests did not even agree to go with you! It was merely a suggestion."

Sullenly, the two returned. "Grandfather, who in their right minds would want to stay inside?" Ellira grumbled, glaring pointedly at her guests. Clearly, physical harm would befall any who opted to stay inside.

"True, but is it not polite to at least wait for their answer before you take your leave?" Mendesur admonished.

"We would love to go outside," Arwen spoke up before a prolonged argument could ensue. Her companions enthusiastically added their agreement.

"Lovely!" The smile was back on Ellira's face. "Come, we are wasting time!" Then she was out the door again.

Alvain stood there with a frown on his face. "Strange choice of words," he said before dashing out after her.

Aragorn and company stood up, hard-pressed to keep up with the impatient pair.

"WAIT!"

Ellira turned and rolled her eyes, showing her exasperation with a huff.

"Watch out for the Willow-Witch," Thelmo implored.

"Is that all?" Ellira sighed impatiently.

"It is not a joking matter!" Thelmo snapped, his jade eyes boring into her identical pair.

"I heard you when you said it this morning!" Ellira protested. "Yes, we will be careful."

"Children," Thelmo muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Ellira called, but she was already skipping merrily on her way. She led the group through the Time Room and out the front door, where she stopped, waiting for everyone to assemble outside.

"Where are we going?" asked Alvain.

"My darling overprotective father and grandfather need time to talk about- to talk about-" Ellira frowned, searching for the right word.

"The future?" Legolas suggested helpfully.

"For lack of a better word," Ellira conceded. "They need time to talk, so we need to stay out of their way."

"The apple orchard?" Alvain suggested. "We did lose everything we gathered this morning."

"Yes, the apple orchard!" Ellira said enthusiastically. She paused. "Unless anyone objects?"

No objections were raised, so Ellira led the way. She led them quite some way along the river before guiding them across a bridge. "After gathering, we can have some lunch," said Ellira. "I know we just ate, but our breakfast discussion made me lose my appetite. Besides, you look underfed!" She prodded gently at Pippin. "How often _do_ you eat?"

"As often as I can!" Pippin quipped. His companions laughed, being well aware of a hobbit's eating habits.

Ellira frowned and cocked her head. "What sort of creature are you anyway?" she asked. "I do not recall ever encountering your kind."

"Ellira!" Alvain hissed.

"It's fine. We call ourselves hobbits," said Merry.

"Hobbits," she echoed softly. "Interesting. I have never heard of them."

An awkward silence fell. Frodo broke it by asking, "So what about this Willow-Witch?"

"Do not worry," Ellira said cheerfully. "I am the only one she wants dead, so she won't bother you."

"That is nothing to worry about?" Aragorn said in disbelief.

"She hasn't succeeded yet," Ellira replied casually. "And I said _you_ needn't worry."

"You shouldn't let your guard down!" Alvain snapped. "That's what she wants!"

Ellira rolled her eyes. "Here we are," she said. "And look! No one is here, as you can see for yourself."

Alvain sighed. "Elly, if our guests were not of the honorable kind, you would likely be dead by now," he reminded her. "I cannot allow that to happen again. We were lucky this morning."

"Is that what's eating at you?" Ellira asked. "It is in the past, Al. It cannot be changed, so it is no use dwelling on it now."

Alvain let the subject drop. They had arrived at the edge of a large grove of apple trees. Alvain frowned. "Where did all the willow trees come from?" he asked. "They weren't here this morning."

Ellira gazed at the willow trees spread evenly throughout the orchard. One large weeping willow in particular caught her eye and she stared at it in interest before saying, "This is a Time Dimension, Al. Things change daily." She turned to the others. "We should get started. When the baskets are full, whatever you pick is yours for lunch." She gestured at several large baskets lying about.

The hobbits eagerly claimed a tree with conveniently low branches. Elladan and Elrohir climbed a majestic tree that towered impressively over the other apple trees. Legolas chose a slightly smaller tree and tossed apple down to Gimli, who refused to climg a tree. Ellira stood in front of the giant weeping willow in awe, stroking one of its hanging branches, which were thicker than most willow trees displayed. She tore her gaze away and leaped nimbly into the tree that was occupied by the twins.

Alvain narrowed his eyes. "THERE ARE OTHER MEN HERE THAN MYSELF!" he thundered. "YOU CAN NOT JUST CLIMB THE TALLEST TREE DRESSED LIKE THAT!"

"I'M WEARING HUNTING LEATHERS UNDERNEATH!" she hollered back. "AND YOU ARE _NOT _MY FATHER!" She then addressed Elladan and Elrohir, but her voice carried over the wind. "He is stuffier than an old man, isn't he?" The three occupants of the tree laughed at Alvain's sputter of outrage.

Aragorn walked side by side under the trees, plucking the occasional apple from low-hanging branches. "Everyone seems relaxed," Aragorn commented.

"After recent events, a relaxing outing is what was needed," Arwen replied.

"I began to relax when I discovered time was frozen until we were ready for it to be otherwise," Aragorn admitted. "I doubt Sauron had this luxury when he travelled through time, which must give us a slight advantage."

"What do you think about our hosts?" asked Arwen.

"I think they are good people," Aragorn said thoughtfully. "It took some time to gain their trust, but now that we have it, I believe they will do all in their power to help us."

They watched for a moment as Ellira teasingly dangled a bright red apple just out of Alvain's reach. "It is difficult to believe Ellira and Talumë are one and the same," Aragorn remarked. "She acted differently in the Void."

"Talumë was a mature version of Ellira," Arwen reminded him. "Also, she has been living in a relatively care-free environment, barring this Willow-Witch."

"True," Aragorn conceded. He frowned at the tree Ellira and the twins were perched in. Was it his imagination or were those willow trees considerably closer to the great apple tree than earlier? He pushed the ridiculous thought from his mind and walked on, tugging a particularly large apple loose from a branch.

Alvain fell into step with Aragorn and Arwen, apparently having had enough of Ellira's teasing. "She is a handful!" he ranted.

Aragorn smiled in amusement. Yes, he was growing fond of their hosts. Ellira and Alvain in particular kept things lively. "She is headstrong, I will give her that," he said.

"When she is Time Keeper, I will not be able to protect her as effectively," Alvain murmurred. "I do not want her to learn the hard way that there are things more dangerous than the Willow-Witch." Suddenly he looked uncomfortable, as if he had disclosed too much information of a personal nature.

Changing the subject, Arwen asked, "Why is she called the Willow-Witch?"

"It is nothing more than a reference to her roots," Alvain answered. "Her mother was a tree spirit- to be more precise, the spirit of an ancient willow tree in Middle-Earth."

"Why is Ellira her target?" Aragorn questioned.

Alvain hesitated. "That is family business," he finally said tentatively. "It is their story to tell. Not a day goes by that the witch doesn't make some attempt on Ellira's life. Some are pathetic, but others are too close for comfort. She hasn't made any attempts today, so I have to keep a close eye out until she does."

Arwen decided to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. "You call this a Time Dimension. What is different about it, apart from the fact that time does not pass here?"

"Time does pass here," Alvain corrected her. "It does not pass in Middle-Earth unless the Time Keepers leave this dimension. Time dimensions do not follow the ordinary rules. Like the Void, they technically do not exist under ordinary circumstances.

"A time dimension operates on mind power. Anyone inside it can manipulate it. If you think something can or should happen, it usually will, unless there is conflict from others dwelling in the dimension with you."

Aragorn tried to understand but could not quite wrap his mind around the concept. "Please elaborate," he requested.

"Look around you," said Alvain. "This orchard was not here when the Time Keepers first arrived here, or so Elly tells me. According to her, this is an almost exact replica of an orchard near the village she grew up in before they escaped here. The only difference is that monstrous tree you see her in now. Before I was around to look after her, she needed a place to escape, and since the dwarves the witch commands cannot climb trees, this sprang to her mind. It has been her favorite tree ever since.

"Also look at the baskets. When we come here to gather apples, there are no more baskets than we need, and they are always the perfect size.

"The weather, also, is at our command- most of the time. The only drawback to being here is that we have an ongoing battle with the Willow-Witch to control it all."

Seeing their looks of disbelief, Alvain plucked an apple from a tree and tossed it to Arwen. "Think of the most unnatural color you believe of an apple," he instructed her. She did so, and to her astonishment the color of the apple changed from red to a pale blue.

"This is an ideal home you have found," Aragorn said, impressed.

"It is not home," Alvain corrected. "We never intended to stay this long."

By now, almost everyone had finished their gathering. The hobbits were settled at the base of their tree eating. Legolas and Gimli sidled up to join the four. Ellira and the twins still had half a basket to fill. It didn't look like it would be filled, judging by the way the three were tossing apples to one another, none of them catching any due to the tree branches moving at inconvenient times. The ground was littered by missed apples.

Alvain walked up to the base of the great tree and proceeded to filled it with the apples scattered all over the ground. "We could have done without your help," Ellira called down to him.

"Indeed?" Alvain retorted. "It looked to me as if you were fooling around. Or could it be that your aim truly is dreadful? I would have thought that with your companions being Elves that they, at least, would meet with some success." He ducked as a volley of apples rained down around him.

Legolas, Gimli, and the hobbits abandoned their spot in favor of investigating the commotion. Aragorn and Arwen stood back, watching in amusement.

"TRUCE!" Alvain yelled.

Abruptly the apples stopped falling. It was quiet, and Alvain peered tentatively up the tree. Immediately a stray apple hit him in the face.

"Lunch!" Ellira announced. "Let's go to the meadow."

"Whatever you wish," said Alvain, rubbing his forehead, turning to lead the way.

The twins leaped lightly to the ground, following the others.

"_Alvain!"_ Ellira gasped. The panic in her voice cause the rest of the party to turn and stared in horror at the sight that met their eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, a cliffy, but I couldn't let the chapter go on any longer for reasons of my own. Finally some action! Review, yes? Is it good, is it awful, is it missing anything?<strong>


	5. Chapter 4 Mother Willow

**A/N: I am soooo sorry it took so long to update. Sorry this is horrifically short. I promise it will get better if I can just get everyone out of the Time Dimension. Their time in this Dimension was supposed to take up only one chapter, but it didn't work out like that when I realize how complicated everything was. This was a tricky one to write. You won't believe how many times I wrote it and re-wrote it. Anyway, here it is. I know this is a wild jump from character to character, but everything is happening at once.**

Chapter 4

_"__Alvain!"__ Ellira gasped. The panic in her voice cause the rest of the party to turn and stared in horror at the sight that met their eyes._

The willow tree, the great silent willow tree that was almost crowding the giant apple tree, had come alive in a most horrific fashion. The trunk twisted unnaturally into what could be a face, if you viewed the knots in a certain way. The long, thick, supple branches were wrapped tightly around Ellira's waist, holding her a good six feet above the ground.

Alvain ran toward her, sword out, leaving no doubt as to his intentions. But an especially thick branch shot out and flung him away from the trunk. "Alvain!" Ellira cried out, kicking her legs uselessly, as the snake-like branches inched their way up her body.

Aragorn leaped forward, dodging a gnarled branch aimed at him. He had only come close enough to almost touch the trunk when a second branch threw him out of the way. Legolas, thinking perhaps speed would prove a greater asset, ran forward. Indeed, he did reach the trunk and even began to climb the tree, but he, too was flung to the ground.

Pippin dived under a wild branch, and, keeping himself pressed as flat against the ground as possible, began to crawl forward. Meanwhile, Alvain had recovered from his fall and went for another run at the tree. The twins each jumped on top of a flailing branch, hanging on for dear life. Pippin carefully rose to his feet, now pressed flat against the trunk. Merry began to follow Pippin's lead as Alvain was flung back for a second time. Gimli hacked at some of the branches. The dwarf managed to shorten two of the branches before the ax was wrenched out of his grasp and flung away. The twins were finally thrown off the tree, somehow landing nimbly on their feet several feet away. Merry had now reached Pippin, and there was a brief pause as the two hobbits contemplated what to do. Then Merry started to rise as Pippin carefully climbed onto his shoulders, both keeping themselves pressed flat against the trunk. Pippin then pulled out a knife and gazed at the branch that was inching its way around Ellira's neck. Then he launched himself forward and neatly severed the branch from the rest of the tree. Ellira and the two hobbits landed on the ground in a heap.

They were far from safe, however. The branches swept the two hobbits off Ellira, but she rolled over in time to avoid the next sweep from a particularly thick branch. As one, Aragorn and Alvain rushed forward to drag Ellira out of reach as Frodo and Sam did the same for Merry and Pippin.

As they tried to catch their breath, they gazed at the wild willow, which was still straining to grab Ellira with all its might. She quickly took a step backward as a wayward branch whipped too near her face for comfort.

"It's _her_ tree. Why would she violate it so?" she asked.

"It's a replica of her tree," Alvain corrected.

"Replica or no, this is still a serious violation of a spirit tree," Ellira insisted. "I thought she had more respect for it."

"Spirit tree?" Gimli repeated, his eyes narrowing at the tree suspiciously.

"My grandmother is a tree spirit," Ellira stated. "And this is almost a perfect imitation of the tree she inhabited. The only difference is the other tree was my protection. You should always show the utmost respect for spirit trees, for their inhabitants take offense easily. Spirit trees are very powerful, for they can move of their own volition, and they can rouse other trees of their same species. It is foolish to make an enemy of one."

"They can rouse other trees?" Gimli echoed.

"Only of the same species," Ellira repeated. She glanced around the orchard at the slender willow trees scattered about. "I see what you mean. Al, we ought to get home."


End file.
